The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for reading and storing reference codes and subsequently retrieving information identified by the reference codes. More specifically, the present invention relates to a system that uses an instrument having an electronic reading, storage and transmission apparatus incorporated therein to read, store and subsequently transmit reference codes to a computer system. The computer system (which may be connected to a worldwide computer network such as the Internet) retrieves information identified by the reference codes.
Readers of newspapers and other periodicals typically encounter articles or advertisements that describe subject matter for which they are interested in obtaining additional information. Articles in typical periodicals are limited in the amount of information they can convey because of space constraints and because of the desire to transfer information in a concise manner to a large number of readers. Many of the readers have only limited interest in the subject matter of a particular article.
While the use of concise articles attracts a large number of readers, those readers who wish to obtain more information on the subject matter of an article are often frustrated by the limited content provided in concise articles. These frustrated readers will often times read several periodicals or utilize online internet news and information services to obtain the information they desire. When using online news and information services, users are typically required to conduct a number of time consuming searches to obtain the information they desire. Thus, a need exists for a simple way of obtaining additional information related to articles of interest.
In addition, in today""s every increasing use of catalogues by both consumers at home or at work and by sales personnel working for companies, the user must write down, or otherwise note, the catalog number(s) and often the price(s) for a selected item or items he or she wishes to purchase or order. This is time-consuming and often involves mistakes in recording the appropriate catalog number or in sending the correct catalog number to the company or catalog store. These recording mistakes can lead to a variety of consequences, including non-requested items being sent to the user, incorrect prices, and the need for returns.
Sales personnel, after having visited with customers or clients, must often fill out long order forms related to the products and/or services which have been ordered by customers and must relay such order forms (often by mail or fax) to a home or company office so that the order form may be processed. Information concerning a method of payment may be sent separately. Authorization for shipment related to the method of payment may also cause delays and confusion.
Furthermore, when a securities client, i.e., a consumer or prospective purchaser of bonds, stocks or other securities, wishes to buy or sell such securities, the client customarily contacts his or her broker or trader over the telephone or fax or in some instances over the Internet and types in or writes down the particular stock or other security and the number of shares of such stock or other security. This may lead to mistakes such as the stock symbol being incorrectly transcribed, the number of shares to be bought or sold being incorrectly transcribed, or an intended xe2x80x9cbuyxe2x80x9d order being transcribed as a xe2x80x9csellxe2x80x9d order. Thus, a need exists for a simple, less error-prone way to order items from a catalog or to trade securities.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,496,071 to Walsh, incorporated herein by reference, describes a prior art method in which a reference code is inserted in a periodical article to allow the article to be subsequently referenced and/or indexed using the code. However, the disclosure of Walsh does not provide a system that enables a reader of an article containing a reference code to easily obtain additional information concerning the subject matter of the article. Further, the reference codes utilized in the method disclosed by Walsh typically require an electronic device to read the codes. Periodicals are often read on a train, bus or airplane when the reader would not have access to a typical code reader to allow the reader to record and store the reference code for future use.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,640,193 to Wellner, incorporated herein by reference, describes a method by which a user may scan a printed bar code or alphanumeric I.D. code to obtain information about the object with which the bar or I.D. code is associated through transmittal over a communications medium such as the Internet to retrieve the information.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,764,906 to Edelstein, et al., incorporated herein by reference, discloses an electronic resource annotation/denotation, request and delivery system permitting a user to locate design information on a computer network or system such as the Internet without the user having to know, for example, the universal resource locator (URL) of the desired resource.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,804,803 to Cragun, incorporated herein by reference, describes an information retrieval device designed to obtain information which may be related to the object based on data which is encoded on the object.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,812,776 to Gifford, incorporated herein by reference, relates to methods of processing service requests from a user to a server through a network which may be performed without the use of a URL descriptor to identify the information sought.
PCT Published Application WO98/24036, incorporated herein by reference and published Jun. 4, 1998, describes a data retrieval system which incorporates a bar code reader to access information resources which are contained on the Internet.
PCT Published Application WO97/01137, incorporated herein by reference and published Jan. 9, 1997, describes a system and method for utilizing identification codes on objects to access resources over the Internet relating to those objects.
PCT Published Application WO98/03923, incorporated herein by reference and published Jan. 29, 1998, describes a bar code scanner and computer program to obtain information available on the Internet relating to information printed in a newspaper, book, magazine, catalog or other printed material.
PCT Published Application WO98/06055, incorporated herein by reference, also describes a computer coupled with a bar code reader for accessing information on the Internet or an intranet.
Embodiments of the present invention overcome drawbacks of the above-mentioned publications and provide a method and apparatus for allowing a reader to easily store a reference code associated with a periodical, article, or advertisement using a convenient writing implement. The writing implement includes an electronic data reading, storage and transmission apparatus. Furthermore, embodiments of the present invention facilitate catalog shopping for both customers and sales personnel. Embodiments of the present invention also facilitate trading of securities. Embodiments of the invention produce fewer mistakes than occur in a manual system which requires printing, or otherwise reproducing, numbers or codes.
Previously, and by way of example, a reader of a newspaper or periodical who wanted to record a reference to a particular Internet website, while commuting was required to write down the site""s uniform resource locator (URL) on a piece of paper. Later on, the reader would locate the piece of paper, turn on a computer, and type the URL into a web browser.
The systems and methods of the present invention save time by allowing a user to simply scan a code imprinted on an object to perform any of a number of tasks or transactions. The code can correspond to a variety of information such as URL sites. Embodiments of the present invention provide a system in which a detected reference code is transferred automatically to a computer system. The computer system can use an Internet browser to locate Internet sites on the World Wide Web that contain information related to the article, advertisement, catalog item or security associated with the detected reference code.
One embodiment of the invention includes a writing implement. The writing implement includes a writing end and, at the end opposite to the writing end, a data transfer end. The data transfer end reads reference codes associated with coded objects. The data transfer end is then placed into a data well. The data well communicates with a computer or other electronic device via a cable. Alternatively, the data well can communicate with a computer via wireless communication technology. In still another embodiment, the writing implement can communicate directly with a computer using wireless communication technology. The wireless communication technology can include an infra-red or a radio-frequency link. Once the writing implement transmits signals representing the scanned code to a computer, the computer launches an application to bring the computer user to the Internet site or other location which was referenced by the scanned code. Alternatively, when a user logs on to her computer and connects to the Internet, one embodiment of a system according to the invention presents a link or links associated with the scanned code or codes. The links can be presented in association with the user""s favorite portal.
Thus, a user can retrieve information relating to newspapers or other periodicals, a customer can order an item from a catalog, and a client can trade stocks or other securities. All of these actions can be performed expeditiously with relatively few mistakes. The present invention facilitates a user""s ability to retrieve information on the Internet or other broad-based computer communication network using an altered version of a commonly-carried writing instrument.